The Macy’s 23rd Annual Parade of Lights went very well here at our office! We had more families than ever join us for our viewing station. We gave out over 700 cookies, all of our hot cocoa (more than 400 cups), all the whip cream, and all our marshmallows! Some of our Realtors sponsored Santa Claus coming to our lobby, and they took photos of the kids and families. Thank you to Phillip and Jenna Provost for providing the Santa and taking photos.
There’s good news on new planning and zoning regulations coming after the first of the year. We will see where we can work on higher density rules this next year in 2019. It might open up more lots for multi-family units including duplexes and four-plexes. It is a good move.
Walla Walla is on the edge of another big move with new families moving to town and new businesses; including hotels, restaurants, and small cottage businesses. It is going to be fun to watch.
Understand the value of living in our valley and what we do not have to concern ourselves with. Paradise California, the southern coast, tornadoes in the Midwest and lots of others issues we just do not have to worry about.
I love the Walla Walla Valley. See you next time.
Dennis M. Ledford, Owner/Broker
Coldwell Banker First Realtors®
House/Brewery is moving ahead on 2nd Street and it will be a great addition to our community. While you’re on 2nd Street, be sure to drive by the new El Sombero. These are great additions to the entry on Second Street. Lastly, don’t miss Tractor Supply Company – it’s now opened on West Rose and will be holding a grand opening on September 29th. I’m so excited about all of these great additions to our community.
School is starting next week. It is hard to believe it is coming up again! Willow Charter Middle School just started, I worked hard with them to find a location and the Catholic Schools allowed them to use Saint Pats on Poplar – it works great. Their first two classes are moving ahead: a sixth and seventh grade. You still might be able to enroll your child, be sure to explore those options if you’re curious.
esidential rental properties in the area are very tight. We manage about 650 doors and we have less than 1% vacant at any given time recently. I’m pleased that our City did not agree to give the developers a tax waiver for the new units they want to build where our Elks Club is located. If they did, all builders would want the same treatment and that would not be a positive move for rentals or our community.
Walla Walla Town Center is still moving on with new openings. It is a great addition to the area and will generate new tax revenues. Good work to everyone involved on getting it rolling.
El Sombero has started their new building on Second Street. It is great to see the movement to a new building. They are a great family and we are lucking to have them in Walla Walla.
Tyson is directing and we are bringing in some special talent to help from Seattle, to help make the show just jump. Go to the Power House website and get your tickets.
It was a few weeks ago now – but my Father’s Day was great, and I hope yours was as well. I was in Seattle with my daughter Melanie, son Josh, and their special partners for dinner and nice conversation. It was great! Sunday we headed to a Mariners game and then back to Walla Walla. In Bellevue at 4:30 PM that Sunday it was 87 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Driving back was a breeze going east on 90, but the West 90 was bumper to bumper from West of the Summit to Indian John Hill. It was ugly!
In local news, Walla Walla Town Center is starting up. More and more stores are opening their doors. Sportsman’s Warehouse was first to be up, MOD Pizza is under construction on the far west end of the Center on Myra – you can see the blocks being stacked. Ulta and Bed Bath and Beyond are up and running with Hobby Lobby was the most recent to get rolling. This is exciting to watch.
We are also blessed with wonderful arts, theater, entertainment; and one of the best in the world in producing sculptures with brass, stainless steel, and wood with Mark Anderson’s Foundry. We have the Little Theater, Power House Theater, and Shakespeare Walla Walla.
production to bring out the entire family with a really funny, entertaining show “9 to 5”. Almost all of the actors and actresses are from the Walla Walla valley and we have some great talent. Little Theater has their season in place with several productions that will be a real treat for Walla Walla. Shakespeare Walla Walla is doing “The Tempest” which is a powerful production and will be awesome to view.
Our famous Walla Walla Sweet Onions are out. The Arbini onions on Wallula Road are out and I think they are some of the best. Locati’s are great as well. Get your onions soon! I really enjoy cutting one in half, putting salt, pepper and butter on it and wrapping in foil to put on the grill or oven. It makes a wonderful addition to your Summer BBQ.
Walla Walla Town Center is moving ahead rapidly. Landscape, black top, and curbing all going in and it is very attractive. It should help with the sales tax dollars that are escaping out of our area.
out some amazing information about sales tax dollars in the State. King County represents 41% of all sales tax generated in our state at $15,473,396,000 and Walla Walla County has $230,382,000 which represents .6% of the sales tax revenue in our state. I see why King County is so powerful..
There is a ton of new business throughout the area. Columbia Pulp plans to open a June opening for the conversion of wheat straw to a paper product. It will have a lot of employees which I do not know the total, but it will grow. My question is: where will they live? Rentals in Waitsburg and Dayton are almost non-existent. I do not feel Starbuck has anything and Walla Walla is over 95% full. We will see!
Well, I’m back from a great Spring trip! We landed first in San Diego and spent 4 nights in Old Town. I love Mexican food so it is the perfect spot for Donna and me. We had great weather, mid 70’s and mostly sunny. We stopped in Palm Desert, Laughlin Nevada, Peoria Arizona, Porterville California – then back to Portland, and then to our Condo on the Oregon Coast; and finally to Bend. We were out almost a month, but when I come over Nine Mile Hill, I reflect that I did not see anything on our trip that was more beautiful than our Valley.
News that is happening in Walla Walla while I was traveling – Sonic has signed a contract to be in Walla Walla Town Center. They have over 3,500 locations and serve 3,000 customers a day – that is big! It will be great to have them in Walla Walla. Also, the moving of the Amtrack Car at Jacobi’s – getting ready for the renovation of the building, to house the
Walla Walla Steak Co. and Crossbuck Brewing; which will be opening this Spring. I am excited to have another Brewery and a Steak House in our little valley. I love a good steak!
El Sombrero will be starting construction of their new building just off Second Street in 60-90 days. They are excited to get it going and have felt very good about the cooperation the City has given them. They feel they will only be down for two weeks. Thank you City for helping this great business.
We have definite housing issues for the homeless and low income families but as rent moves up and sales prices increase, our core group of families are pressured as well. Our new teachers, firemen, policemen, and other community groups need affordable housing as well and if they cannot find it in Walla Walla they will go to other communities where they can find affordable housing. If we cannot house them, it will create a real issue of the strength of our community.
This is not your parent’s pep talk about managing a credit card so you have a good credit score, and it’s not your grandma’s sermon on being a good person either. We all have our moments where we don’t behave as we should, but make it a habit and soon no one will be able to vouch for your character; no one can give you a good reference. When you want to rent an apartment, you need references. When you find an opening for a job so much better than the one you have now, you need references. When you are in the running for most adult things, you need references – and good ones at that. If your only reference is your old landlord who kicked you out for noise complaints, you’re out of luck.
Yes, “adulting” is hard, but part of “adulting” is building references of your character and your ability to act responsibly. Think of it as your stats for how good you are at “adulting”. If your references read more like a rap sheet than glowing praise, know now that it’s time to suit up and take things more seriously. It only gets harder getting older, so don’t stop yourself from realizing your dreams by getting poor references everywhere you end up. References matter because in the same way you don’t want Facebook to get you fired, you don’t want your actions to get you denied from your next home.
Walla Walla Real Estate 